Tobie Smith

Tobie Smith  (born October 23, 1973) is an American former competition swimmer who specialized in long-distance and open-water freestyle events. She represented the United States at the 1998 World Aquatics Championships in Perth, Western Australia, winning the gold medal in the 25-kilometer open water event.

To celebrate her completion of her master's degree in kinesiology, Smith swam the English Channel on August 5, 1999. After swimming two thirds of the distance in an estimated record time, she encountered a force five gale of 19 to 24 miles per hour and white-capped waves. She finished her channel-crossing in eight hours, 15 minutes; the then current record time was seven hours, 40 minutes.